Licking Lips in Lisbon

In Lisbon, where the World Esperanto Congress is currently taking place, you wake up with the sunshine in the sky and on your plate. The Portuguese adore an egg tart called Pastel de Nata. You can barely walk a street in the centre of Lisbon without seeing them stacked high:

And drivers aren't excluded from temptation, courtesy of large billboards backed by the bluest of skies:

It would've been rude not to sample some of the local specialities:

I can confirm that they're very nice indeed!

At international Esperanto events you often don't even need to go into the city to try food from different cultures. A part of the programme at many events is a session where people bring in typical food from back home, put it on display, and then everyone else is free to give everything a try:

Some people bring just a little something. Others manage a variety:

You don't have to try something if you're not sure, of course. Some of my best friends are from Catalonia but they can keep their anchovies:

Crisps and Cherry Bakewells! I think I'd pretend not to be English so that I could help myself to those! I'm not convinced of the 4KG of haggis though. And I don't have a clue what "fruity leather thingies" are:

So there you have it: Esperanto can give you a nice insight into other cultures. Not only can you speak to people who come from places you wouldn't be likely to visit ... you can gobble up some of their food too!